Choosing Teams
by Elphie Marky
Summary: Maureen, Roger, and Mark hold a Super Bowl party. When Mark choses his team, he reveals a little too much.


Disclaimer: I don't own Rent.

Roger and Maureen sat in the main room of the loft, knee deep in an argument. The TV Benny had so generously given Mark for his birthday was turned on to a sports channel. Potato skins and cocktail wieners were on the table along with cups of soda and beer for their small, makeshift Super Bowl party.

"Pittsburgh is so going to whoop Seattle's ass!" Roger argued. "Their defense is friggen awesome!"

"No way! Seattle has way cuter uniforms and their quarterback is really hot," Maureen countered. "And their cheerleaders are pretty sexy too."

"I won't argue that last one," he replied, referring to the cheerleaders, "but the quarterback's looks aren't going to win them the Super Bowl."

"Seattle."

"Pittsburgh."

"Seattle!"

"Pittsburgh!"

Mark walked out of his room, hearing the commotion. "What are you two arguing about?"

"He'll settle this," Roger said. "Who do you think will win the Super Bowl?"

"Oh, um, I don't know," Mark said, shrugging.

"Oh, come on, how can you not like football with your dad?" Maureen asked. "Pick a team."

"Um, Pittsburgh, I guess," he finally replied. "My dad always liked them."

"Ha!" Roger stuck his tongue out at Maureen.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Maureen cried, eyes lit up and hair bouncing.

"Then why'd you ask?" Mark rolled his eyes.

"No, no, no!" she was excited. "You're a closet Penn State fan! I knew it, the whole time we were dating!"

"What? I went to Brown," he said, crossing his arms.

"That scarf!" she kept going, ignoring the pink tint forming on Mark's cheeks and Roger's confusion. "It's the same colors that the stupid Brittany Bear wears!"

"It's a Nittany Lion," Mark replied.

"See! Who else knows that the stupid mascot that totally looks like a bear is really a lion or whatever he said!"

"She has a point," Roger jumped in the conversation. "It does look like a bear. I actually thought it was a bear too."

"That doesn't mean anything," Mark's face had become a shade of deep crimson. "Why are you here anyway? I thought all the girls were going shopping."

"Have you ever been shopping with Joanne?" Maureen placed her hands on her hips.

"Have you ever been shopping with Mimi?" Roger shook his head, eyes wide.

"She dresses like an old woman."

"She has to try on i everything /i ." He rolled his eyes.

"It's so annoying," they said together.

Mark just nodded, hoping the topic of conversation would stay away from his college football team preferences.

"So, Marky, admit it," Maureen started again, "are you or are you not a closet Penn State fan?"

"Oh jeez, Maureen…"

"I'm serious," she said, "your scarf is their colors, you picked Pittsburgh, what are you going to say next? You're a diehard Eagles fan too?"

Roger laughed. "I wouldn't be surprised. Didn't he cry himself to sleep last year when they lost?"

"Okay fine!" Mark yelled, raising his arms in the air. "I went to Pennsylvania on vacation when I was seven in the height of Bowl Week and I feel in love with the blue and white of Penn State. From then on, I was dying to go there, but my dad wouldn't hear of me going anywhere but Ivy League. But my mom knew. She knew how I loved it. So she made me my scarf," he cast a longing look to the other side of the room where his scarf hung. "Happy?"

"Aw, Marky," Maureen gave him a hug, "it's okay."

He sniffled a little. "Yeah, I don't think I would've made it there."

"Why's that?" Roger asked from the couch, curiosity dancing in his eyes.

"I can't hold my liquor for shit," he laughed. "You have to have a liver of gold to go there."

"Oh that's right," Roger smiled, "my cousin went there and majored in Drinking 101."

They all laughed, Maureen returning to the couch and Mark taking a seat between her and Roger. "Oh look, it's starting."

"His ass looks real cute in those tight pants," Maureen giggled, pointing at the quarterback taking his place on the field.

"Yeah, and it's gonna look even cuter when The Bus sacks him and he's sitting on the ground with a Steeler running towards the other end zone with the football," Roger retorted.

"What's an endzone?" Maureen asked.

Mark and Roger just laughed, replying with, "Just watch the game."

Fin


End file.
